


Relationship Status

by Batsutousai



Series: Overprotective Criminals 'Verse [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Acceptance, Established Relationship, Gen, Multi, Original Characters Using Hate Speech, Secrets, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-12 10:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11734959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batsutousai/pseuds/Batsutousai
Summary: Barry's Facebook status has changed between 'in a relationship' and 'it's complicated' at least a half-dozen times since he created the account, and he somehow doubts that will be changing any time soon.





	1. Cisco Ramon

**Author's Note:**

> This is something of an exploration of character relationships sort of fic. Which, honestly, I hadn't intended to write anything like this, but while I was working on the timeline for the next fic in the series, I realised I needed to figure out exactly how much everyone knows – or think they know – about Barry, Len, and Mick's relationship. And, yes, I could totally have just left this in my series notes – seriously considered doing so, actually – but then I decided, what the hell, might as well share this mess. So.  
> All that said, you don't actually have to read this fic to figure out what's going on in the next part. (Which will start posting next Monday.) This fic focusses a lot more on Barry's relationship with people other than Len and Mick, though they do get some scenes, so if that's not what you're here for, feel free to give it a pass.
> 
> As always, a thousand thanks to StillNotGinger10, who has provided services as both cheering section and beta reader.
> 
> Cover on [tumblr (as a batch)](http://batsutousai.tumblr.com/post/169502737564/instead-of-doing-anything-productive-last) and [deviantArt](https://batsutousai.deviantart.com/art/Relationship-Status-Fanfic-Cover-727076994).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Cisco Ramon's up first! (With honourable mention to Caitlin and Wellsobard.) This chapter covers some of this AU's backstory from _Criminal Partners_ , with the 'present' part taking place around s1e2 _Fastest Man Alive_. 
> 
> You can also read this chapter at [Dreamwidth](https://batsutousai.dreamwidth.org/380317.html) or [LiveJournal](http://batsutousai.livejournal.com/381741.html).

Iris bullied him into joining Facebook not long after their return from the beach and Barry's discovering Len and Mick had vanished into the night. She'd used the offer of mind-numbing games to tempt him to join the time-waste, insisting that, if he was going to continue moping around the house the rest of the summer – which she hadn't meant meanly; she'd been his _rock_ ever since he'd returned from the abandoned flat – he might as well do it in classic millennial fashion: From behind his computer screen. 

In all honesty, half the reason he ended up joining was the vague hope that Len or Mick had an account. But, more likely, he admitted to himself as he came up empty on his searches for them, if they were anywhere on the internet, it was some sort of shadowy web forum used only by criminals. (He will later find out that he wasn't actually _wrong_ about that, though they will both delete their accounts after taking on the code names Captain Cold and Heatwave. Because, as Len will joke, _supervillains_ don't use 'plebian criminal web services'. He totally deserves the pillow and remote Barry and Mick throw at him.) 

The options for relationship status ended up making him leave his room and actually get some real food – he'd done his best to ignore Joe and Iris' breaths of relief at his appearance in the kitchen – because while the abandoned flat had been a pretty clear 'we're breaking up', there hadn't been a _note_. Maybe they were just giving him the requested space? Maybe they'd had to get out of town in a hurry because the cops or FBI or someone caught wind of where they were? Maybe–

(Hope was pretty much the only thing keeping him going that summer, with a lot of help from Iris.) 

He'd set his status to 'it's complicated', and Iris had come in and hugged him not long after he'd posted that, then showed him a few of her favorite games. 

When he'd met back up with Len and Mick in Sun City a few months later, he'd changed it to 'in a relationship', and Iris had rung him within the hour demanding details. He'd also ended up having to explain the change to a few too many friends from high school or his college classes, and had eventually changed it back to 'it's complicated' just to get the lot of them to shut up about it for a while. (Especially as he hadn't really been comfortable publicly airing the particulars of his relationship; he was mostly out about being bi, and all of his friends who knew it were cool about it, but Joe's reaction to his being in a polyamorous relationship had been more than enough to teach him that he wanted to feel people out about that before letting them know the truth. And keeping which of his boyfriends' names he was using for a particular friend straight tended to be more of a headache than it was worth.) 

He'd switched back and forth another time or three by the time Joe got him the job at his precinct. The first time one of his new co-workers sent him a friend request, he'd quickly changed his relationship status back to 'it's complicated', because he had no interest in tackling that bucket of worms in a _police precinct_ , thanks. 

So, really, it was no surprise that none of the members of the S.T.A.R. Labs team knew anything about his relationship when he woke up from his coma. Lady Gaga's music, sure, and probably a dozen other vaguely embarrassing facts – Barry has the sinking suspicion that Cisco had spent way too much time trolling through his Facebook page for nuggets of information about him – but nothing at all on the relationship front. 

"So," Cisco asks a few days into the whole attempting to be a superhero thing, while they're waiting for Barry's broken ankle – he'd _tripped up the stairs_ , and he's really glad none of the S.T.A.R. Labs team seem much inclined to mock him for his bumbling – to finish healing, "it's 'complicated', huh?" 

Barry blinks a few times in confusion before it occurs to him what Cisco's talking about, then he groans. "You know," he says, potentially a little too honestly (though he will eventually learn that Cisco would have pestered him for more no matter _how_ he answered), "the whole reason I leave that as my status, is that no one actually _asks_."

Cisco raises his eyebrows and leans forward a bit on his stool. "Oh, dude, you _cannot_ leave it there. I'll make like a cat and die of curiosity." 

Barry rolls his eyes and presses his hands together, because if he lets himself start rubbing at the itching of bones knitting together, it'll just make it take longer. So, because he can use the distraction, and he genuinely likes Cisco, he cautiously explains, "Sometime people get a little...weird. When they find out." 

Cisco shoots him a comically wide-eyed look. " _Dude_. If you tell me you have a harem, I'm moving in with you." 

Barry chokes out a laugh. "No, sorry. No all-night orgies for either of us." Even if Len hadn't vanished without a sign, Barry wouldn't have that, mostly because his boyfriends seem to think that, if they aren't all settled down in bed with the intention of getting sleep six hours before Barry's alarm for work goes off, he'll finally piss off Singh to the point that the captain fires him. Which, in all fairness to them, they might be right about. 

Cisco sighs and leans back towards the nearest counter, almost falling off when he misjudges the distance. 

"Nice save," Barry tells him with a laugh. 

Cisco wiggles an unimpressed finger at him in return, then opens one of the drawers next him and pulls out a bag of dum-dums; it didn't take Barry long to realize that he's the reason there are sweets stashed pretty much _everywhere_ in the lab. "Laugh at me and miss out on sugary goodness." 

Barry grins and shakes his head. "Sorry, man. Could I have a grape one?" 

Cisco digs through the bag for a moment, then tosses him one of the grape lollipops. He unwraps a red one for himself, politely waiting to shove it into his mouth until after he's said, "Seriously, how weird can your 'complicated' relationship be? I mean, compared to what _we_ see every day?" 

Barry takes a moment to suck on his lolly, debating whether or not to tell the truth; they may deal with things like superspeed and guys who can control the weather just fine, but polyamory is a completely different world of _different_. And not usually the sort people accept right away. 

Still, he's done a bit of Facebook stalking of Cisco in return, and he's about seventy percent sure he'll take the truth well. (Well, the polyamory truth, at least. Barry dating a couple of wanted criminals? Maybe not so much.) So Barry sighs and pulls his dum-dum out of his mouth, then says, "I'm part of a threesome," and shoves the lolly back into his mouth. 

Cisco blinks a couple times. "Huh. Like, two chicks and you? Because that would be–"

"No," Barry interrupts, turning his frown down to where his fingers are smoothing out the creases of his wrapper. "Three guys." 

Cisco is quiet for a moment that feels way too long, and Barry honestly can't say how much of that is due to his own nerves causing time to dilate around him. (An unfortunate side-effect of his speed that he really could do without most of the time.) But then Cisco says, "Huh, that's cool. You three been together long?" 

Barry swallows and nods. "Yeah. I missed our six year anniversary while I was in the coma." 

" _Shit_ , dude! I'm lucky if I make it past the second date!" 

Barry glances up, then, and he can't help but laugh at Cisco's aghast expression, so obviously overdone it's impossible _not_ to laugh. 

But then Cisco's expression closes down, turning a little uncertain. "They never came to visit you while you were in the coma?" 

Barry turns his attention to the empty stick of his dum-dum, picking at the edge of the paper like he always used to do as a kid, when he'd unroll it and use it as scrap paper. "Joe and them don't really...get on," he lies, because he'd much rather that excuse than telling the truth about Len and Mick's occupation. "They visited me in hospital, I guess, but they weren't willing to chance it once I got moved here." 

"Shit. I'm sorry. If we'd known – if _I'd_ known, at least – I coulda snuck them in the back when Joe wasn't around." 

Barry offers him a tired smile. "Yeah. If I end up in another coma, I'll tell them to ring you about that." 

Cisco makes a face at him. 

Barry snorts, then carefully climbs out of the bed, testing his ankle and is grateful when it holds. "So, tackle more robbers?" 

"Abso _lutely_!" Cisco sings out, jumping up from his stool and racing Barry out of the medical room. 

Cisco and him don't really talk about his boyfriends again, beyond an occasional teasing, "Someone had an awesome night," when Barry comes in with a skip in his step, or an apologetic, "Sorry to drag you away," when Barry gets called back in after he'd already gone home for the night. And Barry is so utterly _grateful_ , because Cisco isn't weird about it, but he doesn't push, either. Like he gets that Barry hates having to lie about the men he loves to protect their identities, so he just doesn't give him cause to have to. 

And Caitlin, likewise, takes her cues from Cisco on the matter, though she does end up insisting on running some additional tests that she hadn't bothered with previously, as she hadn't known he was sexually active. At least his early rehashes with Iris makes answering her more specific questions about his sex life a little less embarrassing than he might have expected them to be. 

Dr Wells, on the other hand, has that same silently judgmental stare that Joe sometimes wears when Barry's being obstinate about not sharing his boyfriends' personal information or their current address. Barry takes to responding to it in the same way as he does with Joe: He avoids the topic whenever possible, and ignores Dr Wells' expression as best he can when he can't.

.


	2. David Singh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for David Singh. (I might have to do a piece later from his POV about how much of everything he really guesses/knows. HA, just what I need. Another fic in this verse. XP)  
> This section/chapter takes place somewhere between episodes 2 _Fastest Man Alive_ and 3 _Things You Can't Outrun_.

As often as Captain Singh gets on his ass about being behind on _everything_ , he's also the reason Barry has always felt safe being bisexual in his very masculine workplace, if only because Singh's own status as an out gay man means no one dares to drop any gay slurs or talk down to anyone who admits to being not straight inside the precinct or while out on duty. Because Singh _will_ find out about it. And when he finds out, well. He isn't above giving the perpetrator the worst possible assignment as punishment for as long as it takes them to be less of a homophobic asshole, if not outright suspending them on the very rare occasion that someone is dumb enough to misspeak in his hearing range. 

So, while the first time Barry accidentally said 'boyfriend' in the bullpen (instead of something a little more gender neutral, which he had got to using around his college campus, because football players could be real dicks), was a little nerve-wracking, he didn't feel _unsafe_. Not like he might have in a workplace with a different boss. And no one reacted to it, beyond another CSI checking that he was okay with her referring to his significant other the same way the next time they talked about their personal lives. 

After becoming the Flash and finding out about his need for more calories, Mick makes a ridiculous new rule about Barry needing to start bringing a lunch, so Mick knows he's getting _something_ other than Big Belly Burger into his stomach each day. It isn't the first time Mick has set out on a sort of crusade to ensure Barry or Len are eating enough vegetables or meats or whatever each day, but he usually isn't quite so firm about making them play along, and the argument they have over it had leaves them both fuming, with Barry retreating to Joe's for a couple days. 

(Times like this are when he misses Len the most, because at least with three of them around, there's usually someone there to step in and talk the argument down before it resolves in one of them walking out for a couple weeks or – in Len's current case – a number of months.) 

If it isn't for the rumor mill passing along the news about Captain Singh's own partner being difficult about dieting, he might well have stayed at Joe's for another week. As it is, he takes a couple hours to work up his courage, then pulls together a file of results for the captain and walks down to his office. 

"That had better be my report on the Miller case, Allen," Singh says as soon as he sees him standing in the doorway of his office. 

"Uh, yes, sir." Barry steps forward and hands it over, rambling a bit about the results they'd got on the carpet fibers they'd found in the victim's wounds while Singh looks over the paper copy. 

Finally, Singh sighs and sets the file aside, before shooting Barry a resigned look. "I don't need the verbal report, Allen. Just spit it out, whatever it is." 

"I just–" Barry stops, forces himself to take a deep breath, then just starts talking in a rush: "I heard that your boyfriend is getting on you about eating healthy and I just– H–how do you deal with it? Like, I mean, you're clearly eating...well, not so healthy, here, but if he's really pushing it, just–"

Singh holds up a hand for silence, and Barry gratefully presses his lips together, embarrassed. "Sit down, Allen," he says after a beat of silence, motioning towards the chair sitting in front of his desk. 

Barry drops into it in a rush, barely holding back his speed. "Sorry, sir," he says before he can stop himself. "This is– I mean, I'm sure you don't really want–"

" _Allen_ ," Singh snaps, turning one of his more annoyed stares on Barry. 

He slouches in his seat and covers his mouth with one hand, though he knows that won't really stop his nervous chatter if he's given the chance to talk again. _God_ , this is such a bad idea. 

Singh sighs and steeples his fingers. "Shall I assume your boyfriend is complaining about your own diet?" 

Barry nods. "Not enough vegetables," he says around his hand, somehow manages to keep himself from saying anything more. (Because all the fixings on his many burgers a day don't count, according to Mick. Not even if he orders extra lettuce, or whatever.) 

Singh's expression suggests he's in a similar boat. "I don't have an easy answer for you, I'm afraid," he offers in a voice that's far gentler than Barry's used to hearing from him. "I know that, with Rob, he's coming from a place of love and concern for my health. It makes it...easier, though I would prefer fewer health smoothies." 

Barry can't keep from making a face at the thought. "Yeah, Le–my boyfriend, he sorta blew up the last blender we had, so no smoothies." An incident which had occurred while Barry was in his coma, and which Mick promised he was better off having missed. Not that Mick would ever make Barry take a smoothie as his lunch, if only because he isn't daft enough to think Barry will drink it. Len, sure, he doesn't mind them so much, since less effort and more travelable than a sandwich when he's busy with his latest heist plans, but Barry much prefers having something to chew. "I get, like, a whole cucumber, half a red pepper, and most of a carrot all chopped up on top of half a head of lettuce. Maybe some chopped chicken or ham, if he makes any the night before." 

Singh mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'I'll trade you,' before raising his voice to say, "There's nothing saying you have to eat the salad, unless you suspect he'll find out if you pass it off?" 

Barry shrugs, because Len is the one who usually finds out things Barry doesn't want him knowing, but Mick's dumb act means a lot of people overlook him when watching out for people trying to listen in on private conversations, not to mention he knows all of Len's information-based contacts. Mick's way too smart to give Barry proof he's keeping tabs on him, but he wouldn't be surprised to find out Mick knows a lot more about what goes on in the precinct than he lets on. (Admittedly as much for the sake of committing crimes, as to keep tabs on Barry.) 

Singh watches him for a moment, a particular tilt to his mouth that Barry recognizes from all the times the captain has asked for more information about something Barry or one of the other CSIs found at a crime scene, usually in hopes that it might help the detectives assigned to the case pick a focus. 

"Please don't ask," Barry hears himself say, and then he winces and looks down at his hands, because he hadn't meant to say that aloud. And he knows, from growing up with Joe, that asking a detective – even one who's traded his title for captain – _not_ to ask about something, pretty much guarantees they'll start hunting for information. 

Singh's quiet for a moment that feels too long – _damn_ his speed, anyway – before he clears his throat and his chair lets out a creaking noise. "Allen," he says, and his tone is a bit more brusque than it has been, but somehow still kinder than Barry's used to, "I've seen you finish off three Big Belly burgers in one sitting; I'm sure you can manage one salad and a burger to appease both of you." 

Barry lets out a helpless little laugh and glances up to find Singh watching him with that familiar slightly annoyed turn to his mouth. "Yeah, I think he expects something like that. I just–" He sighs and rubs at his face. "It was a dumb fight," he admits, more to himself than Singh. 

Singh lets out one of his familiar annoyed huffs. "Why aren't you talking to Joe about this? He and Francine had their share of rough patches, I know." 

Barry winces again, debates his options for a moment, then admits, "Joe...doesn't approve. Of the– Of him. My boyfriend." Singular, just one, totally not more than one. 

(He really should have just handed over the report and run for it. _God_.)

Singh develops that particular pinched expression he often gets when he needs to walk away or he'll start yelling. 

Barry jumps out of his seat and hurriedly says, "I'm sorry for thi–for disturbing your work. I'll just–" He motions towards the door, even as he starts moving around the chair, barely managing to keep from tripping over one of the legs. 

"Allen," Singh snaps, and Barry freezes and makes himself meet his captain's eyes, feeling so damn tense, he half suspects a stiff breeze will knock him over. 

Singh though, he doesn't look _angry_ , really. At least, not _at Barry_ , and the strangeness of it winds him for a moment, long enough for Singh to say, in _far_ too gentle a voice, "Go back to your lab and call your boyfriend and make up with him; fighting over vegetables is just ridiculous. Which I say having done so myself a couple times." 

Barry swallows and nods, somehow manages to whisper, "Yes, sir," before he flees back up to his lab. 

He does end up ringing Mick and apologizing for being stubborn. Mick apologizes for throwing a head of lettuce at him, which had been the thing that had made Barry leave. And then he, maybe a little nervously, asks what Barry wants for dinner that night, and Barry suggests he pick something up from one of their favorite restaurants on his way home, and Mick sounds so _relieved_ when he says, _"I'd like that."_

If Barry picks up an extra muffin at Jitters the next morning and it ends up on Singh's desk while he's talking to a couple of detectives in the bullpen, well, no one but him and the captain will ever guess why.

.


	3. Felicity Smoak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Felicity Smoak. As much fun as adding Oliver might have been (lol, yeah, maybe not for _Barry_ ), the most he'd know pre-League of Assassins is whatever Felicity accidentally shares.  
> This section/chapter covers events in _Arrow_ season two's episodes 8 _The Scientist_ and 9 _Three Ghosts_ , then picks up at the start of _Flash_ s1e4 _Going Rogue_. (Also included is some of Felicity's canon backstory, though slightly twisted, which is from _Arrow_ s3e5 _The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak_.)

Felicity, when they'd met in Starling City, had been pretty chill about it when he'd explained that he was in a relationship. He'd still been happy to go to the 'work function' as her plus one, and he'd danced with her – as much as he could, at least – mostly because it was the polite thing to do. (And, also, it seemed kinda lame that no one was dancing, given they had a pretty good orchestra. Or, well, he _assumed_ they were pretty good; his music tastes tend more towards musical numbers and oldies rock than orchestral dance music.) 

While they were waiting for Oliver's blood sample to come back and hopefully explain his hallucinations, Barry re-broached the subject of Felicity's feelings in regard to Oliver, because he'd spent most of his high school career with a massive crush on Iris, and he had a pretty good idea what it looked like: "The other night," he started a little cautiously, "I asked if you liked Oliver." 

"I told you, I don't," Felicity insisted. 

"I remember." He cleared his throat. "But, if you did... I can sort of see why? I mean, it's _Oliver Queen_. He's a billionaire and a vigilante and super hot." 

Felicity let out a startled laugh. "What? No! I mean, okay, _yes_ , he's...very easy on the eyes." 

Barry snickered. 

Felicity huffed. "Oh, do not make me call your girlfriend and tell her you're crushing on Oliver." 

"I'm not _crushing_." At least, he was fairly certain he wasn't; Oliver was hot, yes, but also super terrifying in a 'put one toe out of line and I'll shoot you through the heart' sort of way. Which was an expression he'd seen on his boyfriends' faces a time or six, but never aimed at _him_. "And it's–" He stopped, took a deep breath, then caught her eye. "It's _boy_ friend." 

Felicity blinked, then huffed again. "Of _course_ my adorable new science buddy would be gay." 

"Bi," Barry was quick to correct her. 

"Bi, then. _And_ taken. Is he hot?" 

Barry couldn't help but laugh and tried not to grimace at how relieved it sounded. "He's..." He took a moment to think about Mick and Len, smiling. "Maybe not _Oliver Queen_ hot, but I wouldn't trade them." Wait, _shit_. "Him! I meant–"

"Whoa, Barry! Hey!" Felicity caught his shoulders, her eyes wide and concerned. " _Breathe_. It's okay." 

Barry gasped in a breath and covered his face with his hands. "Oh my god," he whispered, because he hadn't been comfortable enough with someone to accidentally mention he had _two_ boyfriends in... Jesus, not since Richard and Andrea in college, and they'd been cool about it in the moment, but then they'd both started pulling away over the next couple of weeks. Would Felicity–?

Felicity was quiet while he got his breathing back under control and tried not to mourn another lost friendship; why was it that Iris (and Lisa, who doesn't count because she's related to _Len_ ) seemed to be the only person in his life who didn't freak out the moment she found out he was in a polyamorous relationship with two other guys. 

"Sorry," he finally said, unable to meet her eyes. "I didn't–"

"When I was in college," Felicity interrupted him as she squeezed his shoulders, "my boyfriend, Cooper, him and his best friend, Myron, had a friends with benefits arrangement from before we met. Which I knew they kept up with while Coop and I were dating. I was okay with it. Angry I had to walk in on them to find out, but..." She shrugged, offering Barry a sad sort of smile when he chanced looking up at her. "So, two boyfriends?" 

Barry swallowed and licked his lips. "Yeah. But not like– I mean, all three of us, we're together." 

"Way better arrangement than we had," Felicity offered. 

Barry couldn't quite stop a quiet laugh at that, wasn't sure if it came out more strained or relieved. "Sounds like. My–" He stopped, considered the consequences of dropping their names; Felicity worked with the Arrow, who went after criminals, but he didn't think any of them had their fingers in the wanted criminals database. And, anyway, Len and Mick had decided to start avoiding Starling ever since the news broke that there was a guy in a hood going around shooting people committing crimes. So it...should be okay, right? At least if he stuck with the names he used around Joe and Iris. "Lenny and Micky, they were together before I met them, I guess like your boyfriend – ex-boyfriend?" 

" _Dead_ boyfriend," Felicity corrected, her mouth twisting with old grief. "He hanged himself." 

"I'm sorry," Barry whispered, because _shit_ ; he thought _he_ had relationship troubles. "That's–"

"Rough, yeah," Felicity agreed, shrugging and glancing away for a moment, before turning back to him with a smile that only looked a little strained. "But, your boyfriends, they were like Coop and Myron?" 

"Yeah. They– I sort of...pissed off a member of the mob?" Barry explained, and Felicity choked out a sound that could have been either a moan or a laugh. "Yeah. It was terrifying. But they saved me, and we just sorta... Iris, my foster sister, she made me hunt them down to ask them out, after. I thought there was no way they'd say yes, certainly not _both_ of them, but–"

"It worked out," Felicity finished for him, smiling wide and delighted. 

"Yeah, it really did," Barry agreed, grinning himself for a moment, before glancing over at the equipment he was using to run the tests on Oliver's blood. "I– Could you...not tell Oliver. Or Diggle?" 

"Sure," Felicity agreed without hesitation. "Though, really, Oliver is the _last_ person who can get snarly about someone else sleeping with more than one person." 

Barry snorted at that, because it was no secret that Oliver Queen was a playboy. Or, at least, he _had_ been, before getting marooned on an island for five years. "Yeah, but it's..." He cleared his throat and grimaced. "They're not really the most...law abiding citizens?" 

"Oh." Felicity blinked, her eyes going wide. " _Oh_. Yeah, let's...never mention that part to Oliver. Like, _ever_."

Barry laughed, then told her, "Thanks." 

She smiled back and leant forward to hug him, replying, "Of course." 

And then they'd turned on the news and watched the prep for the particle accelerator being turned on. 

And, somehow, even after nine months of him being in a coma, Felicity is still his friend. And, worse – or better? – one of the first things she says when she gets him alone is, "So, when am I going to meet your boyfriends?" 

Barry sighs and rubs at his face. "That's...complicated. Like, a lot." 

She raises her eyes at him and makes a 'go on' motion. 

Barry sighs again, a little harder, and motions that they should keep on their walking tour of his city. "I told you they're..." 

"Criminals?" Felicity offers. 

Barry nods. "Yeah. Like, they're on the CCPD's wanted list." 

Felicity whistles. "Wow. That's..." 

"Messy? Dangerous if we're caught?" 

"I mean, my night job involves hacking into government agencies and playing tech for a vigilante, so I can't really talk?" 

Barry laughs and slouches towards her so they can bump shoulders, which she allows with a grin. "There is that. Okay, so, they couldn't really come see me while I was at S.T.A.R. Labs." 

"Shit." 

"Yeah. They ended up getting into a huge fight and Lenny's gone to ground. Like, _way_ to ground. Which, I mean, Micky says he's done this before, and he'll be back eventually, but it's just me and Micky, right now." 

Felicity sidles closer a step and slips her arm through his, giving it a quick squeeze. "That's pretty sucky," she admits with a sympathetic smile. "Are you planning to give him hell for missing you waking back up?" 

Barry snorts. "Micky is, totally. And he says I should, too. I dunno. I mean, I'm kinda cross with him, because it's been _months_ and he's a moron. But, too, I mean, I just... I _miss him_ , you know? I just want him _home_."

Felicity's smile is crooked and a little sad as she agrees, "Yeah, I know that feeling. I–" She sighs and squeezes his arm once, then lets go, putting a bit of space between them again. "Coop, he used a program I created to hack into M.I.T.'s system, mess with their files. I was...so angry with him. But it got him arrested by the FBI and he–he committed suicide while he was in custody. And, after, I was still angry with him, but I would have given... _anything_ to have him back. Alive and free." 

Barry reaches out and touches her shoulder to stop their forward momentum, then pulls her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispers into her hair as she hugs him back, sniffling against his jumper. 

When she pulls away after a moment, Barry lets her go, but leaves one hand on her shoulder as she pulls off her glasses and wipes at her eyes. "Ugh, I am so sorry," she says with a strained little laugh. "It's been _years_ , and I still–"

"Hey," Barry interrupts, squeezing her shoulder. "You're allowed to be upset about that. No matter how much time passes. I mean, you know about my mom; that _still_ hurts." 

Her smile is a little crooked, but it's honest. "Yeah," she agrees, then she slips her glasses back on and casts him a sharp smile. "So, when do I get to meet Micky?" 

Barry groans and tugs her along to keep walking. " _Please_. If you meet him before Iris, she'll _kill me_."

"Your sister hasn't met him yet?!" 

"We grew up with a cop!" 

Felicity just starts laughing, knocking her shoulder into his arm, and Barry can't help laughing along with her because, okay, it _is_ sort of ridiculous that Iris still hasn't met Len or Mick. She doesn't push it, though, for which Barry is supremely grateful. 

(Incidentally, she will end up meeting Len a couple of days later, though Barry won't tell her as much at the time, far too pissed off at his missing boyfriend to admit to knowing him, let alone having ever been intimate with him.)

.


	4. Eddie Thawne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Eddie Thawne. Just a heads up that Eddie doesn't take the reveal so well. (Also, Joe is his usual disparaging self. ^^; )  
> This section/chapter makes mentions of s1e8 _Flash vs. Arrow_ and e9 _The Man in the Yellow Suit_ , while the 'present' is at some point before Barry's identity is revealed to Eddie in e17 _Tricksters_.

Barry actually really hates that _he_ seems to be the reason for the majority of Iris and Eddie's fights. (Since he'd woken from the coma, at least.) First it was because Iris trusted the Flash and Eddie thought he was a dangerous man, and then it was about Barry being in a polyamorous relationship, which he'd found out about at Christmas. 

It had gone something like this: Iris had had one too many cups of eggnog – to be fair, Barry was probably the only one _not_ feeling the buzz, which would never not suck, and a part of him _really_ wished he hadn't promised to be Caitlin and Cisco's designated driver, because he sort of just wanted to go _home_ – and she turned to Barry and said, like she did pretty much every Christmas, "You should have invited your boyfriends." 

Barry rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to tell her a flat no – never mind that Joe would never let them in the door on account of his not approving, she _knew_ they were at least small-time criminals, and they had two cops over – when Caitlin called out, "Right! That's what Christmas is _for_."

Cisco, somehow having the most sense of the lot of them, made a hushing motion towards Caitlin and glanced over at where Joe was scowling into his mug. 

"Come _on_ , Bare," Iris continued, pushing like she always did when she'd had a bit too much to drink. "Not even _Dad_ can kick them out on _Christmas_."

"Wait, Detective West doesn't–?" Caitlin started, before Cisco finally managed to shut her up. (Barry wondered which sweets would make the best thank you gift, and which of Cisco's hiding places were the emptiest. Something to determine later.) 

"Damn right I don't approve," Joe muttered into his mug, and Barry saw Cisco and Caitlin both wince. 

Iris made a 'see?' motion towards her dad, as if Joe choosing to respond to Caitlin's comment, rather than hers, was proof that they'd be welcome. 

(Welcome to an interrogation, maybe. With Joe holding the gun.) 

"Lenny's Jewish," Barry reminded her, because they'd had this conversation enough times over the years, and that had become his default defense. Not that Len was a _practicing_ Jew, and nor did he celebrate Hanukkah, beyond lighting a menorah he'd apparently inherited from his mom. Honestly, neither of his boyfriends celebrated any holidays (save April Fools, which Barry will probably kill them over one year), besides using them as an excuse to commit crimes, which they'd do anyway, and maybe spoiling themselves and Barry with some _really_ excellent baking. 

(Okay, but _seriously_. Len makes a mean marble cake, and both Len and Barry agree that Mick's carrot cake is the best way to suffer eating carrots. Barry's baking skills start and end with store-bought brownie mixes and those chilled cookie rolls you just have to slice apart and stick in the oven; it isn't that he burns anything else, he just never has the patience to fuss with presentation. And while he's perfectly capable of handling the prep work, he tends to get distracted and make a mess, especially if Len or Mick are within shouting distance.) 

"He can be Jewish during Christmas," Iris insisted, and Barry rolled his eyes. "And _don't_ start in on Micky's hating the holidays, okay? Christmas is for _family_. Even _grumpy_ family." 

Barry sighed and said, "Not this year," like he did _every_ year. By Iris' scowl, she knew that, too, but she let it go, as she usually did. 

Barry had thought that would be the end of it, at least until the next year, except Iris came storming into his lab the next afternoon and shouted, "My boyfriend is a _jerk_!"

Barry blinked a few times and carefully set down the blood sample he'd been working with before turning to face her. She was definitely angry, but in that same way she always got when Joe was being difficult about Barry visiting his dad or his boyfriends. 

Barry's boyfriends. Which had been brought up at the Christmas gathering. Which Eddie had attended, though he'd been refilling his and Iris' eggnog when the topic had been brought up. Not that he couldn't have heard the whole thing from the kitchen. 

"Oh, no," Barry whispered a bit weakly, because he'd got so used to all of his friends knowing he was in a polyamorous relationship, he'd forgotten that there was someone who _didn't_ know. 

Iris' face just sort of crumpled and she sagged against one of the tables, looking heartsore. "He said," she admitted in a voice that hurt to hear, while Barry hurried over to her, "that he doesn't care if you're gay, it's the–" She waved her hand in the air, like she couldn't find the words she wanted. Or she couldn't bring herself to say any more. 

"It's that there's more than one," Barry finished for her, catching her waving hand and using it to pull her into a hug. 

She clung to his jumper and sobbed, "Why can't he just _accept_ it?!" 

Barry hugged her tight and shook his head, because he'd never really understood people's hang-ups with polyamory, either. Well, so long as everyone in the relationship was cool with things. When you had the sort of mess Felicity had told him about, where it was essentially cheating, that wasn't cool. But if everyone knew and was cool with things, no matter who had sex with whom, there should be nothing to complain about. Just a group of consenting adults being a part of a consenting relationship together. 

They ended up going out for an early lunch together, after Barry put his work safely away, and he listened to her talk about metahumans – not the Flash, who she was still a little freaked out about after he'd taken his anger issues out on a certain conservative public official who had a history of being a dick to members of the queer community – and she'd kicked him under the table until he filled her in on how things were with Len and Mick, which included catching her up on Len being back in town and off the couch. 

Barry walked her back to Jitters, happy to see her smiling again, then returned to the precinct, where he walked right up to Eddie's desk in the bullpen, ignoring the curious looks he got from Joe, Singh, and some of the other detectives, and leant forward to snarl – in his best Len impression, because cold rage was _terrifying_ – at him, "If you have a problem with _my_ relationship, Detective Thawne, you keep it between _us_. You leave Iris well the fuck out of it, because she doesn't need to deal with whatever prejudiced bullshit you're slinging. Clear?" 

And Eddie, eyes wide like he'd never seen Barry angry before – to be fair, he probably hadn't – whispered, "Yeah." 

Barry straightened. "She's at Jitters. Go buy something, tip _really_ well, and then _apologize_." And then he turned and stalked back up to his lab. 

The next time he saw Iris, she was all smiles and whispered, "Thank you," when she kissed his cheek. 

Eddie spent the next two months or so doing his damnedest to avoid Barry. Barry had honestly expected that wouldn't be changing any time soon, but then he gets called to the scene of a grizzly homicide, where two men and a women had been murdered in the same bed, spread eagle all on top of each other, the word 'SINNERS' written in blood on the wall behind the bed. 

"Murder-suicide," one of the cops is saying as Barry snaps on his gloves and grimly starts to get to work. "One of the guys probably gets home, sees his bird with another man fucking her, slits both their throats, then his own. Classic." 

Barry clenches his teeth, because he didn't need more than a glance to know that was very much _not_ what had happened; all three were naked, the detritus on the side tables of the bed and the dresser made it pretty clear more than two people lived in this room, and there were a dozen other signs he'd seen as he'd walked through the house towards the bedroom. Signs that, perhaps, someone unfamiliar with polyamorous relationships would miss. (That, or he was giving this cop too much credit; he was just a beat cop, not a detective, not trained to look at the _whole_ picture.) 

"You're wrong," his fellow CSI – and one of the handful of people at the precinct he would have called a friend, though not quite on the same level as Felicity or Cisco – Kelley says, and Barry doesn't have to look to know which glare she's got turned on the asshole. "This was a straight-up homicide. Hate crime." 

The cop and his buddy both laugh. "And what makes you say that, pretty lady? You think the woman walked in on her boy banging another boy?" 

"No," Kelley snaps, and Barry knows her glare has narrowed into something slightly murderous. "I'm saying this wasn't two couples, it was a _threesome_."

There's a beat of silence, then someone says, "That's just _wrong_!" while someone else says, "Does that mean they took her from either end, 'cause that's kinda hot," and a third person laughs a bit and says, "Okay, but two girls going down on a guy would be way better." 

Barry can't breathe. 

"That's _enough_!" someone roars, and everyone goes dead silent again. "You assholes scram before I report you to Singh," the someone continues, and Barry gasps out a breath of air when he realizes it's _Eddie_.

There's a flurry of movement behind him, and then Kelley mutters, "I'm gonna report 'em anyway. Disrespecting victims like that." 

"Oh, good," Eddie says in a forced cheerful sort of voice. "Two reports'll _really_ get Singh in a mood. Bet he'll put together a sewer duty roster just for them if we make it three." And then there's a hand on Barry's shoulder, and he can't quite stop himself from flinching, but at least he manages to tamp down on his speed so he doesn't flash away from the touch. "What do you think, Bare? Gonna help us report those jerks to the captain?" 

Barry twists and looks up at Eddie, thrown by the use of the nickname Eddie hadn't used since before the Christmas party. There's something that might be grief in Eddie's eyes, or maybe shame, and Barry has to swallow once before he can find his voice enough to admit, "I wasn't actually paying attention to who they were." 

Kelley's quick to fill him in, still angry on behalf of their victims, and that part's familiar, eases his heart back into a normal rhythm. 

"Yeah," he says, pulling away from Eddie and moving to do his job, "I think three reports are a good, solid number. Not sure the commissioner'll let the captain set up any sewer duty, though." 

"I dunno, I've heard stories about sewer workers vanishing down there," Kelley says. 

Barry scoffs, because those sorts of stories are almost as common as stories of people claiming they're being haunted. (He should know, he used to wade through those sorts of stories as a hobby, looking for the real gems.) 

Barry and Kelley continue to debate possible punishments for the officers, between sharing potential clues they've found, and while Eddie doesn't really join in, he doesn't leave, either, instead staying by the door, well out of the way. 

Once the coroner's come through and collected the bodies, and Barry and Kelley have finished hunting down every last potential scrap of evidence, they start packing up their things. Before they can leave the room, though, Eddie says, "Bare, I can give you a ride back to the precinct, if you need?" 

Barry'd come with Kelley, because she actually had a car – her parents lived out in the suburbs, beyond bus access, and she liked to visit them every other weekend or so, so having a car was sort of necessary for her – and he sort of expected to just go back with her. By the look she throws him, she's been expecting the same. But... 

Eddie calling him 'Bare', not escaping at the first chance, actually offering to _spend time_ with him? It sounds a little like he wants to talk and, given the current case, Barry can make a pretty good guess about what. 

A part of him wants to say no, because he hasn't been particularly bothered by the current state of affairs, so long as Eddie doesn't mouth off and go upsetting Iris again, because she'd never signed up to deal with monogamist bullshit on Barry's behalf. But, then, he's seen the way Iris and Eddie look at each other, and he's fairly certain Eddie's going to be sticking around for a long while. He doesn't want to be the one to drive yet _another_ wedge between them, just because he refuses to take an olive branch, so... 

He sighs and nods. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that. I'll see you back at the lab?" he adds to Kelley. 

"Uh-huh. You owe me a latte if you're more than ten minutes behind me, Barry," she replies, then sidles past Eddie and is gone. 

Barry sighs again and motions for Eddie to lead the way, which he does with a sort of stiff-legged walk that doesn't bode well for the ride. 

Barry's starting to wish he'd just gone with Kelley. 

It's hardly the first time he's been in Eddie's car, but it _is_ the first time it's just been him and Eddie, which makes him realize: "No Joe?" 

Eddie's expression twists with a sort of angry disappointment, but Barry isn't really surprised when he says, "Joe heard the dispatch and said he wanted nothing to do with this case." 

"Yeah," Barry says, his voice flat. "You're not the first person to judge me for how many people I'm sleeping with." 

Eddie flinches, his hands going white-knuckled-tight around the steering wheel. "Barry, what I said–" He stops, lets out a shaky breath and very obviously flexes his fingers, loosening their death grip. "I'm sorry. I was...way out of line. I shouldn't have judged you for how many partners you have, and I _really_ shouldn't have let it impact our...our friendship." 

Barry waits – maybe a beat or three too long – to see if he has anything more to add. When nothing seems to be forthcoming, he sighs and says, "What do you want me to say, Eddie? It's not the first time someone turned into an asshole on me when they found out; I'm used to it." 

"But that's not–"

" _Look_ ," Barry interrupts, scowling at him. "You were an asshole to Iris, but you two sorted that out. That's all I care about." 

Eddie takes a loud, shaky breath. "Okay, but that doesn't mean _we're_ okay." 

"No, it doesn't," Barry agrees, going for his seatbelt, because Eddie's pulling into the precinct carpark. 

Eddie looks a little like Barry just punched him, and Barry has to admit he's a little impressed that they don't run into any of the other cars. 

Still, he's pulled to a stop in his shock, so Barry takes the chance and shoves his door open. "If you're looking for forgiveness, fine, take it. If you wanna be friends again, though." Barry offers him one of Len's chilly smiles as he grabs his evidence case. " _That_ , you have to earn. Thanks for the ride." Then he slams the door shut and makes his way into the precinct and up to his lab. 

Kelley's a little sad he wasn't late enough for her to claim her latte, but they settle down to divvy up their evidence – they both have their specialties, for all they can handle any evidence they find, and it just makes sense to give each of them what they're best at to expedite the results – and she leaves for her lab without too much fuss. 

Barry writes up his report on the officers while he's waiting for a test to finish running, then sends it off to Singh. Judging by the shouting that starts about twenty minutes later – and the fact that Kelley comes out to join him at the railing looking down on the lobby with a smug little smile, while Eddie's standing just below them, wearing a vicious smirk – he wasn't the only one to report the three officers, and Singh is going to make their lives _hell_ for it. 

Eddie sends him a video someone in the bullpen had made of the whole thing, and when he shares it with Len and Mick that night, they all end up wearing similar vicious grins. 

"So," Mick says after Barry's put the video away and they're all getting ready for bed, "ya gonna be makin' friendly with Detective Douche?" 

Barry rolls his eyes at the name Len had coined for Eddie after he'd told them about the whole mess. "I don't know. Depends on him, I guess." 

"Make it hard for him," Len insists. 

"Harder 'en ya made it fer _him_ ," Mick adds, shoving his thumb in Len's direction. 

Len makes that ridiculous little pouting face that no one would ever believe exists, and Barry has yet to be fast enough to get photographic evidence of. 

Barry just turns an unimpressed stare on Mick. "I'm sorry, which of us made it easy for him?" 

" _Okay_!" Len calls, stepping quickly over to the light switch. "Bed!" 

Mick starts snickering and Barry joins him after a moment, because they're maybe both still punishing Len, just a little bit. Len turns the light off on them with a huff. As if that'll stop them. 

(He does, eventually, rebuild his friendship with Eddie, though only after he finds out he's the Flash. Because when Eddie finds out Iris doesn't know, his first question – after making it clear that he's pissed about that, but Joe insisted, and Barry tries not to put too much strain on their relationship, so he hasn't told her – is if Barry's boyfriends know. And his honest relief when Barry says he'd told them first thing – and, oh boy, Joe is _not_ happy about that, because Barry had never actually told him he'd filled them in – makes Barry think that, just maybe, they can heal their friendship after all.)

.


	5. Henry Allen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is for Henry Allen. (Who I'm adopting as my own dad, bite me.)  
> This section/chapter touches on a bit of this AU's backstory from _Criminal Partners_ , before tackling the end of s1e17 _Tricksters_.
> 
> This is a little late today, not because I don't love you people, but because I finally got to sleep in.

His dad, despite being the reason behind so many of his choices in life – mostly his career, but also, if he's being honest, his choice to give Len and Mick the benefit of the doubt – is probably the one who knows the least about his life with Len and Mick for the longest time. Which, well, that was never _intentional_ , but... 

It went something like this: Barry wanted to make sure what he had with Len and Mick was something _real_ , something that would hold out for longer than a couple of months, before getting his dad's hopes up, because he preferred having good news for him, give him a reason to smile and maybe worry a little less about Barry. Finding out it was, had come hand-in-hand with Joe's betrayal, and Barry _could not_ lose both of his dads. So he just...sat on it. And worried at it, and got distracted. 

And Len and Mick, of course, neither of them were unobservant – though it wouldn't be until he found out who they were that Barry would understand the true reason they always seemed to notice when he was being twitchier than usual – so they eventually cornered him on the couch with his favorite ice cream – bribing him with food has always been their preferred way to get him to talk, especially in the early days of their relationship – and pushed until he spilled. 

What happened the next day could probably have been classified as a kidnapping, but if Barry had known Len intended to drive them out to Iron Heights, he'd probably have freaked out, mostly because talking it out hadn't made him feel any better about the prospect of telling his dad he was in a relationship with two guys. So Len had, instead, told him he needed someone to come with him to the shops, since the item he needed for his current project was too large to fit in his motorcycle's panniers. (In those days, Barry hadn't known about the van they only used for heists that might need the extra space, or the rather stunning red jaguar that Mick had stolen in New York about a month before Barry'd met them, which there had still been an APB out on, as the original owner was desperate to have it back. Something about ten thousand dollars in cash stashed in the trunk?) 

As it was, he'd still started trying to get Len to turn around once he recognized where they were headed, but Len was easily as stubborn as Barry was – he'd assumed that was the reason he'd taken him instead of Mick, but it was actually that Len had a favor he could call in with the prison warden if he was recognized, and his own father was inside, in case he needed an excuse for being there that wouldn't connect him to Barry – so he didn't listen, and Barry wasn't quite desperate enough to jump off the motorcycle. 

Len pulled into a space a bit of a distance from the gate into the prison, and he didn't pull off his helmet properly, just flicked back the visor as he turned to where Barry had climbed off and was scowling at him, his own helmet already safely stored in its usual spot. "Look, I don't care what you tell him, Barry, but tell him _something_. Tell him you're dating some pretty girl in your grade, if that's what you need to do." 

Barry tugged on the strap of his backpack and sighed. "Yeah, okay." Then he considered how Len was relaxing against his bike. "You're not coming in with me?" 

Len's responding smile was sharp in a way Barry wouldn't really get until later. "Pretty sure this is one conversation you need to have on your own. Do you wanna shove your bag in one of the panniers?" 

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure." Barry quickly shrugged it off and made to shove it into the pannier without his helmet, because they wouldn't both fit, he knew from previous attempts. 

Len reached out and stopped him. "Have you got your bus pass?" he asked, voice gone low and serious. When Barry frowned at him, confused about the need for the question, he clarified, "I don't want to leave you without a way home if I have to race back and keep Mick from burning the flat down." 

Barry huffed and rolled his eyes, because he knew about Mick's pyromania, but he didn't quite realize exactly how dangerous it could be, not yet. Still, Len looked serious enough that he honestly replied, "It's in my wallet." He patted his back pocket. "With my ID and what I have left from the two twenties Mick slipped in there last night. Which, _seriously_ , I don't need _that_ much for lunch." 

Len's mouth quirked with his slightly lopsided fond smile (which is still one of Barry's top five favorite of his expressions). "I'll be sure to let him know," he said in that dry tone that Barry had already come to realize meant he was going to do the exact opposite. 

(If Barry found sixty dollars in his wallet the next morning, he decided, he was going to wake them both up with a pillow to the face.) 

Barry huffed and finished shoving his bag into the pannier, then turned with a wave and made his way into the prison. 

"I hope you didn't skip school, Barry," the desk sergeant, Richie, told him as Barry signed in. 

"Huh?" Barry blinked in confusion, before realizing what Richie meant. "Oh! No, a friend gave me a ride over after I got out. I let my bag with him, since he didn't wanna come in." 

Richie chuckled and passed him a visitor's badge, then buzzed him through. 

Once Dad had sat on his side of the glass and they'd both picked up their phones, his first question was, _"Shouldn't you still be in school?"_

Despite his nerves, Barry rolled his eyes. "It's already out for the day. And I caught a ride." 

Dad hummed and nodded. _"Okay, Slugger, if you say so."_

Barry huffed, but hearing his dad call him that old nickname always made him smile, which probably ruined it a bit. 

Dad quirked a smile at him in return. _"So, what brings you out to see me first thing? Nothing bad?"_ Concern darkened his expression. 

Barry swallowed, struggling for a moment with how to respond. But, well, Len was right that he needed to tell him _something_ , and at least the basic truth should make his dad lose that worried look. "I, uhm, I started dating someone?" he said, hating that it came out as more of a question. (But, then, it was probably a bit of a miracle he'd got it out at _all_.)

Dad blinked once, and then he _grinned_ , wide and delighted, and the sight made Barry grin back, warmed in a way that made Joe's reaction feel more like a nightmare than the reality. _"It's not Iris?"_ Dad guessed, a teasing gleam in his eyes that Barry couldn't remember seeing since before Mom died. 

Barry swallowed and shook his head. "No." 

Dad shook his head, like he was maybe a little sad about that, but he was still grinning. _"Tell me all about her."_

And that–

Len had said he could tell his dad it was a girl, sure, but how long before Barry slipped up his pronouns? Could he really stomach lying to Dad about his sexuality? Lying about having _two_ boyfriends, sure, no _way_ he was sharing that again, but their genders? 

(What would Dad say? Would he lose his smile? Would he tell Barry to get out and never come back? Would he–?)

_"Barry?"_ Dad called, so much _concern_ in his voice, and using Barry's name like he never did. 

"Him," Barry managed to force out, and he felt a little like his stomach had climbed up into his throat. 

Dad blinked again, just once, and then his expression eased into something open and loving and he said, _"Ah. Tell me about **him** , then."_

Barry ducked his head, trying to hide his relieved tears, but he knew it was audible in his voice when he said, "He's the one who brought me. I was... I dunno. Putting off talking to you." 

_"Bartholomew,"_ Dad said, and Barry made a face at his full name, as he always had, _"there is absolutely **nothing** on this earth that will make me stop loving you."_

Barry swallowed and couldn't stop himself from admitting, "Pretty sure Joe said something similar, once." And he really wished he could take it back once it was out of his mouth, because that was a _horrible_ thing to say about the man who'd taken him in when he'd had nowhere else to go. 

Dad's expression went hard and cold in a way that was both more than a little terrifying, and reminiscent of the expressions both Mick and Len got when they got in the way of someone attempting to mug Barry. _"What did Joseph do? He'd better not have hit you."_

"What? No!" _Christ_ , in what universe would Joe ever do something like that? "He just... He doesn't approve. Said some things." 

_"What things?"_ Dad demanded, so much anger in his voice. 

(Barry was starting to think he should have just stuck with the dating a girl story. Or maybe just never said anything about Joe.) 

"He–" Barry swallowed and couldn't meet his dad's eyes as he made himself whisper, "He said I'm gonna end up in the cell next to yours." 

If silences weren't the opposite of sound, that one would have been screaming. 

And then Dad cleared his throat and quietly, gently, said, _"Barry, look at me, please."_

Barry bit the inside of his lip and looked up. Dad looked...a little angry, sure, but also _sad_ , and he'd pressed one of his hands against the glass between them. It was as close as they could get to touching, and Barry surprised himself, just a bit, with how quickly and forcefully he pressed his own hand to the glass. 

_"Does your boyfriend make you happy?"_ Dad asked, his voice still quiet and gentle, like he was afraid Barry might spook and run if he raised it even a little bit. 

"Yeah," Barry admitted, because Len and Mick... They didn't really do casual hugs or kisses, and crying seemed to be more than a little anathema to them, but they hadn't kicked him out when they could have, and they showed they cared in _so many ways_. Like Mick slipping money into his wallet, or Len driving him out to the prison to talk to his dad. And he wouldn't trade them for Joe's hugs. 

_"Then I'm happy,"_ Dad said, sounding so _sincere_ , and Barry tried and failed to blink back the tears that sprung to his eyes. _"I love you, Slugger. No matter what. Okay?"_

"I love you, too, Dad," Barry whispered back, pushing against the glass and wishing as desperately as he ever had that it _wasn't there_.

The guard on his dad's side stepped over. _"Time's up, Allen,"_ Barry heard through the phone. 

Dad pulled his hand away from the glass to hold up a finger. _"Do you have somewhere to go? Not Joe's,"_ he asked Barry, just a little urgent. And the guard, whose hand been reaching to take the receiver from him, took a step back. 

Barry smiled and nodded. "Yeah. My boyfriend, he's a...little bit older." Barry wasn't certain exactly _how much_ older they were, mind, but he was pretty sure it was at least five years. "I'm staying at his place." 

Dad's shoulders relaxed and he smiled. _"Okay, good. Thank him for me."_

Barry blinked against a fresh wave of tears and croaked, "I will." 

Dad smiled at him and hung up, calmly letting the guard lead him away. 

Barry took a moment to wipe at his eyes, then made his way back out of the prison. Len was still waiting for him on his bike, though he stiffened a bit when he caught sight of Barry. "What happened?" he demanded, voice tight. 

"It's okay," Barry promised, because from what he could see through Len's open visor, his boyfriend was likely thinking about finding a way into the prison and punching Dad in the face. "He just, he wanted me to thank you. For giving me somewhere to stay." 

Len's expression went blank in that way Barry recognized from the morning he'd moved in with them, when he handed Barry the mug of hot chocolate. Barry was nearly positive it meant he was struggling to find the proper response, or something. 

Rather than leaving Len to struggle, Barry stepped forward and hugged him, saying, "Thank you. For making me come." 

Len flinched away from him at first – a reaction that Barry was still getting used to – but then he hugged Barry back, his hold so tight, Barry wondered if he wasn't afraid he'd vanish otherwise. Which was...actually kind of sweet. (Though he was nearly certain Len wouldn't think so.) 

After a couple of heartbeats, Len pulled away and cleared his throat, motioning towards the pannier with Barry's helmet. "Put that on so we can go," he ordered, and Barry did so, letting him have his space. 

While Barry often talked about his boyfriends when he visited his dad after that, he was always careful to make it sound like there was just one of them, because it didn't matter what his dad had said, he couldn't chance more angry silences because he was in a relationship with two other men. He just _couldn't_.

It turns out, incidentally, that he shouldn't have worried. 

After spending pretty much the _whole day_ running himself ragged with terror for his dad, finally having him in front of him, _safe_ , is a...relief. A breath of fresh air. Hugging him is, of course, even better. 

"We're okay," he tells his team, because it occurs to him that he wasn't the only one with his heart in his throat as he raced across the city to save his dad from the Tricksters' booby trap. "Dad's safe." 

The breath of relief is loud and warming, despite Barry's misgivings towards one of the people very probably joining in. (Though, would he? Would Dr Wells actually _care_ that Barry's dad was safe?) 

_"Bare,"_ Joe says, _"I think, given the current circumstances, I can wait to take Henry back until tomorrow, if you want to run him past the house?"_

Barry blinks a couple of times, so grateful for the offer. Because there have been a number of times, recently, where he's been able to actually hug his dad – being a member of the CCPD has _some_ perks, despite the dangers – but having him there all night? Having more than just five or ten minutes to catch up? That is pretty much his dream come true. 

"Joe says," he tells Dad, "that we can wait until tomorrow to take you back. I can take you to his house and you can change into something other than prison garb?" 

Dad tilts his head to the side slightly, giving Barry a considering look. "I think," he says, "I'd rather spend the night at your place." 

Barry blinks a couple times because _what_? At– With Len and Mick? But–

Oh. Oh, _shit_. His dad thinks he's only got one boyfriend. But he doesn't. Which he'll find out if Barry takes him there. (Probably if he takes him to Joe's, too, honestly; as much as Joe doesn't like Barry's relationship, he'll be sure to correct Dad's misconception as soon as he finds out about it.) 

Barry swallows and mutes his comms, then tries on a strained smile for his dad. "I– Dad, look. I haven't been...completely honest. About my relationship." 

Dad inclines his head, then says, "You mean about there being two of them?" 

Barry's brain just...stops working. 

Dad puts on a smile that looks a little mean. "Joe told me," he explains. "Right after I punched him." 

Barry chokes. "Y-You _what_?!"

"Punched him," Dad says, matter-of-fact. "For saying what he did and kicking you out." 

"He did– I _left_!"

"Because you didn't feel welcome." Dad turns his familiar stern stare on him. "Close enough, he deserved it. And then he tried to explain _why_ , which involved–"

"Telling you it's not one boyfriend, but two," Barry finishes a bit weakly. Dammit, Joe. 

Dad sets a warm hand on Barry's shoulder. "I was waiting for you to tell me yourself," he admits, and Barry feels like a heel. "But I can understand why you didn't. I'm not angry with you, Slugger." 

And that's pretty much the moment Barry sobs and lunges into his dad's arms, because this is... _everything_. This is the response he'd so badly wished for, but had been convinced he'd never get. Because Joe–

"I love you, Barry. No matter how many people you're sleeping with," Dad says, voice going a little wry at the end. 

"I love you, too, Dad," Barry chokes out, giving him one last squeeze before quickly taking a couple steps back and rubbing roughly at his eyes. "I–" He takes a deep breath, reminds himself that Dad already knows the hard part. "They – my boyfriends, Len and Mick – they're criminals." 

"So am I," Dad points out gently. 

"You didn't do it!" Barry snaps, shooting his dad a glare. And then he remembers _who_ he's glaring at and quickly looks away. "Shit, sorry. I didn't mean–"

But Dad just chuckles, warm and fond. "I hope you don't snap at your boss that way," he says. 

Barry huffs, because Captain Singh has never brought up his dad being in prison; he's always assumed Joe asked him not to bring it up, though it's possible the captain has heard or remembers Barry's testimony and decided on his own to ignore the topic. "Yeah, no. But." He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "You know Captain Cold and Heatwave?" They'd ended up in the paper a few times, when their fights were early or public enough for people to take photos or video. 

(Actually, Barry could usually tell when Lisa was in town, because Len and Mick would pull a heist in front of dozens of witnesses, more than enough to ensure someone got video of their 'fight' with the Flash. Those were always the nights he'd come home to find Lisa curled up on the couch, cackling over the videos she'd found, while Len leant over the back and offered insider commentary. _Snarts_.)

Dad blinks, and then his eyes widen. "You're kidding," he says, something that looks suspiciously like amusement glinting in his eyes. 

Barry shakes his head. "Len decided that playing cat and mice with the Flash should be his new hobby," he says in as dry a voice as he can manage. 

Dad laughs, loud and full, and Barry grins, just a little, because this isn't the admonishment he'd been expecting, or the outright yelling that Joe would have done. This is pretty much the same reaction he'd had, a little disbelieving he loved a couple of complete morons, but so fucking grateful to have them in his life. Because Len had been right, he _had_ needed a distraction from the Reverse-Flash. He'd been in desperate need of a rival who he could have fun with, instead of constantly waiting for things to go to hell and people dying. Which he knew Len and Mick were still more than capable of, but so long as they were playing foil to the Flash, they were on their best behavior. To the point that no one had died or lost any limbs since that guard in the theatre, before Len knew who the Flash was. 

"Now," Dad says through his amusement, "you _have_ to introduce us." 

Barry groans, just a little, and takes a quick glance around at the abandoned factories surrounding them. "I need to ring them, first," he explains, because he so totally isn't springing this one them without warning. 

"That's fair," Dad agrees. 

"I'll be right back," Barry promises, and leaves him to hunt down a working phone, because trying to fit his mobile in his suit has never ended well. He finds one in the office of the warehouse three over and Mick's is the number he remembers first, so he dials it and waits. 

_"Yeah?"_ Mick answers, tone somewhere between threatening and unassuming, and Barry can't help but smile at it. 

"It's Barry." 

_"Hey. Yer dad okay?"_

_"Is that Barry?"_ he hears Len at a distance. 

"Put me on speaker?" Barry requests, if just to save Mick from having to repeat everything. 

Mick chuckles warmly, then says, _"Alright, yer on speaker."_

_"Did you save your father?"_ Len adds. 

Barry smiles as he says, "Yeah, he's fine." 

_"Thank fuck,"_ Mick says, and Len hums an agreement. 

"Yeah. Joe says we can probably hold off taking him back to Iron Heights until tomorrow." 

_"So you're spending the night at West's?"_ Len guesses. 

Barry takes a deep breath, then says in a bit of a rush, "Actually, Dad wants to meet you both." He pauses for a moment, giving them a chance to decipher that, then continues, "I mean, if it's okay. I can just take him to Joe's, though, if you're not–"

_"Barry,"_ they say at the same time, cutting him off. 

_"We'd love t'meet yer dad,"_ Mick says for them both. 

"Okay." Barry takes a deep breath; they're willing to meet him. "Okay. I'm gonna update Joe, then I'll be home." 

_"We'll see you soon,"_ Len replies, tone amused, and Barry expects he'll be counting the seconds so he knows exactly how much of a stick in the mud Joe's been this time. 

"Hopefully," Barry agrees with a sigh, then hangs up and flashes back to his dad. "They said you're welcome to come over," he offers. 

Dad smiles at him, his whole face lighting up. "Good." 

Barry makes a face at him, even as he clicks his comms back on. "Hey, guys. Is Joe still there?" 

_"He's left to go check on Iris, but I can patch you through to his phone if you give me a sec,"_ Cisco replies. 

"Yeah, thanks." He waits for it to connect, then says, "Hey, Joe? Dad's coming home with me tonight, actually." 

Joe's silent for a long moment, during which Dad's mouth thins with disapproval, like he knows exactly what's going through Joe's head. And then says, his tone flat, _"I see. I'll see you both at S.T.A.R. Labs tomorrow morning, then."_ And then he hangs up. 

Barry huffs out a tired breath and rubs at his eyes around the mask, then startles a little as he's pulled into a hug. "Okay there, Slugger?" 

Barry takes a second to debate his response, then admits, "I don't know." 

Dad's arms tighten around him briefly, then he lets him go. "So, your place?" 

Barry nods and says into his comms, "Cisco, I'm turning off my locator." Because Cisco had made him promise to warn him before he did that, back when Barry had first insisted he show him how, so he didn't have to keep running back to the lab to change before he went home. (Because no way Barry wanted it on record where their safehouses were, or that he changed flats once every three or four weeks. Which was _doubly_ true with his suspicions regarding Dr Wells.) 

_"Got it. We'll see you tomorrow."_

_"And Dr Allen!"_ Caitlin is quick to add. 

Barry grins and turns off both his comms and the locator. "Okay," he says to his dad. "We can go now. Ready?" 

Dad chuckles. "Let's find out," is his response, and Barry lets his grin go a little manic before he picks him up and flashes home. 

Len and Mick are waiting for them, both of them standing just past where Barry usually stops on the rare occasion he flashes directly into this flat, rather than their usual positions of sprawled over the couch or arguing over what to make for dinner in the kitchen. They're also both standing with that particular stiffness to their shoulders that Barry knows means they're nervous. Which means he's not the only one of them waiting for the proverbial axe to fall. Reassuring. (Not.) 

"Dr Allen," Len says stiffly, wearing his most cordial close-mouthed smile. "I'm Len Snart, and I think you know Mick Rory?" 

"Wait, what?" Barry has to ask, looking between his dad and Mick with surprise. 

Dad nods while Mick grunts an affirmative, then explains, "Weren't sure 'til Lenny checked, after ya told us the truth 'bout yer mom. It was a coupla years b'fore we met ya; I ran with another crew fer a bit, got caught 'n tossed in t'Iron Heights. Was a riot coupla months inta my sentence – not mine nor Lenny's doin' – 'n I saw the doc tryin' t'bandage some poor sucker'd got a shiv ta the side. Kept the fightin' offa him so he could finish." 

"For which I remain grateful, even if Mr Rodriguez wasn't," Dad says as he steps forward and offers a hand to Mick, which he takes for a quick shake. "And I think both of you can call me Henry." 

Len and Mick trade looks, then Len shrugs while Mick says, "No promises, Doc." 

Barry snorts, because he could have told his dad that's the answer he'd be getting. 

Barry can't see his dad's expression, but the way both Mick and Len stiffen tells him it changes in some way, and then Dad says in a hard, cold voice that Barry doesn't recognize, "I'm sure I don't need to explain how willing I am to make my conviction a reality if either of you ever break Barry's heart." 

"Oh my god," Barry moans, covering his face. He'd somehow forgotten that one of the pros of never introducing his boyfriends to anyone, is that there's no one to threaten them. 

Len lets out that little snort that means he finds something humorous in a kind of cute way. But then Mick deadpans, "Don't worry, Doc, Barry's already more'n proven he can serve some good 'n terrifyin' revenge if we leave 'im upset." 

" _Mick_ ," Len hisses, as if he totally hadn't deserved his punishment for vanishing for months, and then shooting ice at Barry upon his return. (Him not knowing Barry was the Flash at the time is something Mick and Barry like to conveniently forget when they're giving him some good-natured hell for past choices.) 

"That sounds like a story," Dad says, raising an eyebrow at Barry. 

Barry immediately starts nodding, because it's actually kind of nice to finally be able to share stories about Len and Mick with someone other than Lisa. 

"Over dinner," Mick suggests. "Doc, any preferences? Pretty sure we've got fixin's for burgers, or tonight's usually lasagna night." 

"Anything that's not prison food," Dad decides. 

"Also," Barry recalls, "clothing. I think Len's clothing will fit you." 

"Probably," Len agrees after quickly sizing Dad up. "And I think we've still got a spare towel from the last time Lise stayed over, if you want a shower?" 

"It's almost like you know what it's like to be freshly out of prison," Dad says drily, but he's smiling. 

Len's innocent expression always seems to look like less of a massive lie than Barry thinks it should, which isn't fair. "I'm sure I've no idea what you mean," he insists. "I'm a paragon of lawful behavior." 

Barry and Mick snort at the same time, and Dad starts chuckling. And maybe bringing his dad home to meet his boyfriends is going to turn out okay. 

It does, in fact. They all end up staying up way too late in the living room, Barry and his dad on the couch because he's reveling in the chance to be able to reach out and _touch him_ whenever he feels like it, and Len and Mick are probably at least a little grateful that he's not doing it to them. All of the embarrassing stories get passed around, with Dad being the only one who isn't complaining about being the target, and they do a lot of laughing, with only a couple sad or angry silences, and it's the best night Barry can remember having in a long time. 

Mick makes breakfast in the morning and they all eat it a little subdued, because Dad can't stay – Barry lives with two criminals who are in a constant state of being on the run from the law, but all he gets with his dad is one night, even though he didn't commit the crime he's in for, and the world is _not fair_ – and Barry isn't the only one who doesn't want him to go. 

Still, once the table's cleared, Barry goes to change into his suit while Dad says his goodbyes to Len and Mick, and then Barry flashes him to S.T.A.R. Labs. 

Before they get within hearing distance of the cortex, Dad puts a hand on Barry's arm and says, "Slugger, those two boys of yours? They're good ones, no matter their histories. And I couldn't be more happy that you have them." 

Barry swallows down what might be a sob and steps into the arms his dad holds out to him. Because he's needed to hear that, just a little, that proof that he's not the only person who can see past the _'arsonist'_ and the _'thief and murderer'_ plastered all over their records at the CCPD. "Thank you," he whispers into the shirt his dad had borrowed, which smells a little bit like Len, still, but also a whole lot like his dad, and that means it smells like _home_.

"I'm gonna get you out," he says – _swears_ – pulling back and meeting his dad's eyes and _willing_ him to believe. Because what Dr Wells had said to him when he'd been running with that bomb on his wrist? 

Barry knows _exactly_ who the Reverse-Flash is, and he's going to get him to confess to killing his mom if it's the last thing he does.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next part of this series will start posting next week.


End file.
